Breaking Free
by oblivious-massacre
Summary: After Corpse Party. When Morishige's spirit encounters two newcomers to Heavenly Host Elementary School, he asks for a favor that spawns an irrevocable set of events. Will he finally break free with the one person he cares most for?
1. Naho's Epiphany

**Mayu Suzumoto**

_So cold… So very, very cold._

That was all I knew. The cold was my only friend now, my only world. It was the one thing I could count on to keep me company…and I hated it.

Being a ghost is not what I thought it would be when I was alive. From what I'd seen of ghosts – in these hollow, empty, soulless halls – I'd thought that I would have free will over my spirit. I'd thought that I could move around on my own, finally away from misery.

But that wasn't the case.

I was doomed to haunt the place where I'd felt the most pain in my entire life. It took me a long time to figure out why I was stuck in this particular spot, at the end of the hallway, past the infirmary. You see, it's hard to keep your senses when you're dead. In moments of lucidity, I'd thought that maybe that is because you no longer have a brain. As a soul without a body, you can only rely on your emotions, which can harm you even further.

The events leading up to my death were a jumble. It was like flashbacks; I couldn't remember an event until it flashed before my eyes. And even when I did see something from the past, I couldn't make sense of it without having remembered what happened beforehand.

For instance, as I floated – that's what it felt like to be a spirit; like you're trapped in gelatin – a memory came back to me:

_It was after school, just an hour before the school play auditions started. Shig, my best friend, and I were standing in the hallway just outside of the theater. He was auditioning for the lead part and I was there to support him. I was the production manager of the play, so I wasn't auditioning._

_ "I just don't know about it anymore, Mayu. I mean, everyone knows that auditions are just a popularity contest. How can I expect to get the part when no one likes me?" Shig was saying._

_ I laughed and put my hand on his arm for comfort. "Ah, Shig, always so down on yourself." I looked him straight in the eyes, trying to convey support in my expression. "The auditions aren't a popularity contest. Well, not as much as you think, anyway. And you've been practicing for months! Why let all that work go to waste?"_

_ Morishige didn't answer for a moment. Instead, he continued gazing into my eyes, as if he were trying to see something more than my face. He was usually so calm and collected, so it surprised me when he squinted his eyes for a second before shaking my arm off and moving away from me. I'm not going to lie, it did hurt my feelings a bit._

_ Then, as if coming out of a stupor, he shook himself and returned his gaze to me. "Ah, Mayu, I appreciate the sentiment, but I think I may wait until college to pursue acting. That's when all the _real _actors come out, anyway, right?"_

_ "I suppose…" I replied, although I really had no idea. "But…"_

_ Shig spurred me on, wanting me to continue. "Hmm?"_

_ With those eyes on me, though, I couldn't remember what I was going to say. We were the same age, but his stare could make me feel small again. I would never let him know that, though. So I turned around and tried regaining my composure, thinking of what I could say to make Shig change his mind._

_ I was just about to speak when I felt a hand lay on my shoulder. Before I could react, another hand brushed a piece of hair that had fallen out of my bow back behind my ear. I gasped, startled._

_ "You have such a beautiful way about you, Mayu," Shig whispered, sending shivers down my back. I heard him take a deep breath and then, "And your hair smells…heavenly."_

_ I was going to turn around, but Morishige beat me to the punch. With his hand still on my shoulder, he delicately turned me, as if we were dancing. His eyes were hypnotic, causing every thought to disappear from my mind. Was he about to do what I thought he was…?_

_ As if he could hear my mind, Shig closed his eyes and began to lean in._

_ Yes, this was it! He was going to kiss me! How had he seen through my façade? Had he known how I felt this whole time…? But…wait… This…this isn't right…_

_ Shig's hair…it was turning black as coal. And his skin was losing all color. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. My heart skipped a beat as I saw how dull they looked…like a dead fish…_

_ I was going to scream. I could feel it in my stomach, churning and gaining more power before it made its way up my throat and –_

_ "You will _never _see him again…"_

_ The voice had come out of nowhere. I knew that voice from somewhere, but I couldn't remember who it was. I knew that this person was terrible, though. Goosebumps immediately began prickling my skin upon hearing that deep, rough tone, causing my body to become terribly still and cold._

_ I wanted to scream… I wanted to cry… But I couldn't._

_ So Shig did for me._

_ "MAAAAAAYUUUUU! AHHHAAAHHHH!"_

_ He'd turned away from me, putting his head in his hands. Out of concern, I quickly ran in front of him, dropping to the floor so I could see his face. He didn't seem to notice me, so I tugged on his pants leg._

_ He removed his hands from his face to look at me. When he did, all the awful features – the dead eyes, the black-as-death hair, and the paleness of his skin – disappeared, bringing life back to him. "Mayu… I found you. I found you. I…found…you…"_

_ I tried to speak, to ask him what he meant, but the words wouldn't come. In fact, I realized that I couldn't even move. What was happening to me?_

_ "Haha…hahaha…ahaha…" Shig laughed as he bent down toward me. The closer he got, the louder his laughing became. "AHAHA…HAHAHA…AHA…"_

_ He reached out and…pulled my head clean off my body._

I was immediately ripped out of the memory, if you could call it that. Like I said, memories mingled with each other when you're a spirit. It's as if time doesn't exist here…like it never existed.

_Shig… I miss you. I want to see you. It's so cold here…so cold… Come hug me. Talk to me. I want you. I want you. I…want…you…_

"But he doesn't want _you_."

The voice brought me out of my own misery. I turned my attention outward, trying to see who it was. This is a bit hard to explain. You see, because I am stuck in this one place, I have to turn inward on myself in order to…well, even know that I still exist, even if I'm only a ghost. However, I can turn my attention to the outside world if there is something interesting – which can simply be a voice in the dark – going on. Most notably, if there is another soul around. I don't know how I see, as I have no eyes anymore, but I do…

And standing – or, rather, floating – there was Sachiko Shinozaki, evil incarnate. _She _was the one who put me here and I'd rather spend eternity alone than to ever see her again.

"Why do you do this, Sachiko?" I asked. "Why do you torment me so? What have I ever done to you?"

She had been doing this a lot lately. Coming to see me, only so she can make me even more miserable. She'd been gone for a while. I can't tell you how long it was, but I know that it wasn't long enough. I'd heard, through the other lost souls trapped in this place, that Sachiko had moved on, that we could all go free, some time ago. But we were never allowed to leave. The other souls, desperate and heartbroken as they were, began sarcastically joking about Sachiko's "vacation". My hopes had been so dashed that I hadn't said a word about it or risk crying.

Sachiko smiled that eerie, wolf-like grin of hers. "It's simple, really. You lived. You were alive and happy while I rotted away, while everyone – _everyone _– forgot about me. So now _you _get to rot away while everyone forgets about _you_."

With that, she disappeared, off to kill or torment again.

I turned inward again, but not of my own volition. Once I was alone, it automatically happened, every single time.

_Please, God…_ I thought. _Release me from this torment. I was a good person, wasn't I? I really thought I was. But…how could I be…when I'm in Hell?_

"Haven't you realized that there is no God? Surely you've prayed and been ignored enough to come to your senses…"

Two visitors in one day? This was definitely different… I came outward again, finding Naho Saenoki, another girl who had died in this Hell, standing before me. Naho was a medium in life, so it's no surprise that she has the power to move wherever she wants. I could feel the heat of her power radiating off of her…and it felt like Heaven.

"Wha-what do you mean?" I asked.

I'd only ever known Naho as a ghost. When we first had contact, I'd been alive and searching for Shig, as well as the rest of my friends. She'd helped me by telling me a little about this place. At that time, she'd seemed normal, not exactly happy, but…managing. Now, though, Naho's entire being drooped low to the floor, her head hanging down.

She didn't look up at me as she spoke. Instead, her gaze stayed fixed to the ground. "Exactly what I said. There isn't a God. If there were, why does this place exist? Why would he allow _one girl _to cause so much torment? And in death, even? Why hasn't he taken us? There is no God…" She sobbed. "There can't be…"

I wanted to comfort her as she cried, but, for some reason, I couldn't touch anything. Even if I could touch her, I'd probably only take away her heat and, as Naho was a medium, allow her to feel all my torment. I didn't want that to happen. No one should ever have to feel as I did.

"Naho…?"

"Hmm?"

I hesitated, wondering if I might overstep boundaries. But, then again, I was dead. What more harm could I do? "I was wondering… What happened to you?"

At that, her head snapped up and she looked right into my eyes. "Wh-what are you talking about?"

"Well, when we first met, you weren't…like this. You seemed like you were holding up relatively well. I don't mean to pry and you don't have to answer, of course. I was just curious…" I answered.

She shook her head, laughing to herself. Before I knew it, the laugh had turned into a sob and a tear rolled down her face. "What else can you be when you're a ghost? Curious is a very good adjective for all of us. Well, Mayu, I remembered something…something that happened right before I died. And it killed me inside."

"Oh!" If I were still alive, my cheeks would have blushed. But, in death, there is no warmth to be felt. "I am so sorry! I didn't mean to –"

"It's fine." Naho looked up at me again, her voice a monotone. "I think…it might help to talk to someone…" She looked as if she were silently asking me something, maybe wanting to know if I would mind listening. I said nothing, instead just nodding my head. So she continued…

"I thought I was strong enough to handle this…at first. When my…my mentor and I first heard about Heavenly Host, we were dazzled. It was as if fireworks had gone off in our heads, a lot like an epiphany. But I guess the firework lights blinded us for a moment too long…

"The more research I did on Heavenly Host Elementary and everything that came with it, the more resistance I felt. Eventually, Sachiko latched herself to me, causing me to cough up blood. She hid herself well, but she underestimated me.

"One day, my best friend Sayaka asked me to be a guest on her radio show. They were doing a segment on scary stories, so it was perfect for me. I agreed, a little reluctantly. When a spirit attaches itself to you, it can also attack the ones around you, and I didn't want to put Sayaka in harm's way. Spirits can also gain power by simply being spoken about or to. If a caller or fan of the show submitted a Heavenly Host story, Sachiko could easily hurt anyone in the recording booth…

"No one did, thankfully. But I found out that Sachiko was even more powerful than I thought that evening. I'd thought she underestimated me, but I'd underestimated her as well. She appeared in the corner of the booth, watching me. I tried my best not to let my fear show, but Sayaka noticed. I brushed it off and we finished the show.

"Later that evening, as we were watching the tapes, one of the workers heard something in the background. It was Sachiko. She was letting me know that she was watching me.

"When I got home, I found that my mentor – Mr. Kibiki, who I had been staying with – had ignored the note I'd left him that morning, letting him know that the Sachiko Ever After ritual was too dangerous. He had done the ritual with his assistant, Taguchi, and left me here, saying it was too dangerous for me. I was the only one who could _really _communicate with spirits and he wanted to leave me behind? Absolutely not.

"I knew that I had to do the ritual and find him before he got hurt – or worse, killed – but I needed another person to do it. I quickly ran to Sayaka's home and talked her into doing the charm with me. I will regret that for the rest of my existence…

"Sayaka and I were separated, landing in different planes, just as you were separated from your friends. I never saw her again. Yoshizaku, the man with the hammer, got to her before I could…"

Tears ran down Naho's face, but she never faltered in her words. "I did manage to find Kibiki, but it was too late. Like I said, I thought I was strong, but I wasn't strong enough. The Darkening came for me, oozing over every part of my body. Before I knew it, I was no longer in control of myself. I found Kibiki, _my _Kibiki, and…and…I killed him!"

Naho fell apart then, crying hysterically. I honestly didn't blame her. In fact, it made me want to cry with her. And soon enough, I did. We cried together for what felt like hours, until we felt exhausted. Strange that I could still feel tired in the afterlife…

"I…I feel…funny…" I murmured, wobbling. I felt like I might pass out, if that were possible.

Naho wiped her face and sniffled, looking back at me. "That's because you've used up a lot of your energy talking to me. Unlike me, you can only be seen for short periods of time. Then you have to disappear and regain your energy."

"Not…fair…" I mumbled right before I fell…

Or, started to fall, at least. Before I could, Naho reached out and somehow caught me. Her warmth washed over me and, for only a second, I felt alive again. It even hurt when she dug her fingers into my back.

But then she let go, stumbling back and breathing hard. She brought her hand up to her head and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, she looked right into my eyes. "That's it!"

I was confused. "Huh?"

"You are a genius, Mayu! Thank you so much!"

"What did I do?" I asked. "And how did we touch just then?"

A gigantic smile lit up Naho's face. Her cheeks were almost flushed. "I'm a medium. Being a ghost doesn't change that. In fact, it makes it that much stronger. When we touched, I was able to see in your mind and something caught my attention.

"You know the story of Sachiko, through your own experiences and the ones of others. But you thought of something I've never given much thought, surprisingly. How did Sachiko gain a human body to kill the children she kidnapped here?"

"Umm…" I had no idea. If I had known, I probably would've tried the same thing, except for the kidnapping and murdering part anyway. I just wanted to go home, to see my family, my friends…my Shig. "I don't know. How?"

Naho smiled again. "Through her own will, of course." Seeing the look on my face, she explained, "Sachiko had enough emotional and spiritual energy to break free of the spirit world. It's a lot like what I am able to do. I can be seen whenever I want to because I have a lot of spiritual energy that comes from my being a medium. Sachiko was able to manipulate that in order to gain a new human body…"

"So…what does that mean for us?"

"Us?" This time when Naho smiled, it didn't look pleasant or nice in any way. "There is no 'us'. I'm the only one who has enough power to do this. However, I _will _save you, just as I will save everyone in this Hell. Especially my Kibiki…"

And with that, she disappeared, leaving me sucked back into my own little bubble, all alone…


	2. Morishige's Favor

**Sakutaro Morishige**

_It hurts… It hurts so much…_

The pain hadn't let up at all. Not for a single moment. Even when I dreamed of Mayu, the pain remained, but that didn't surprise me.

No, I'm not talking about the physical pain. That had ebbed long ago. I was used to it; pain was my new existence. But the emotional pain was overwhelming.

_I'm so sorry, Mayu. I failed you. I wish I could talk to you. I wish I could tell you just how much you mean to me. I wish I'd told you sooner. I wish, I wish, I wish…_

"Come on, Akiko, this way."

_Huh? _I thought, breaking free of my loneliness. I turned my attention to the two young girls walking up the staircase.

"I don't know about this, Hitomi. Maybe we should just wait for the others in a classroom."

They were coming right toward me. I knew what I had to do.

I pulled myself inward, into a ball, using all my energy to spark to the little bit of life I had left. When I heard the girls gasp, I knew I'd done it, and opened my eyes to see them.

From the size of them, they had to have been in middle school. They wore the same yellow uniform, meaning they went to the same school. One was a little taller than the other, with jet black hair and wide blue eyes. The shorter one had short, blonde hair and brown eyes.

"Please, listen to me…" I whispered, not wanting to scare them. I'd done this a dozen times, but the result has always been the same. Children ran off, completely and totally afraid of me. It didn't matter that my flame was blue, that I was friendly, they only saw a ghost.

The smaller one leaped behind the one with black hair, scared to death it seemed. The one in front, though, seemed calm and collected. "What are you?" she asked.

"I am Morishige. I died in this stairwell and I'm stuck here. I can offer you tips and guidance from my experiences in this school if you will only do a simple favor for me. Please, I am begging you. Help me," I replied.

The two girls stood there in silence for a moment before the smaller one whimpered. The black-haired girl turned to her and patted her back. "It's okay, Akiko, he's friendly. Shush, now. You're fine."

So the smaller one was Akiko. That meant the other girl had to be Hitomi. "Hitomi, please, will you help me?"

With her hand still resting on Akiko's back, Hitomi looked back at me. "What is it that you want me to do?"

"I died here without ever finding my friend…alive. But I know where she is now; I just can't get to her. If you will go to her and tell her…tell her that I love her and I'm sorry, I will help you get out of here as best I can. I can at least help you stay alive," I explained.

Hitomi seemed to think it over for a moment and then slowly nodded. "I guess I can do that. Tell you what, you give me a tip right now and I will do this for you. When I come back, you can give me more. Sound like a deal?"

Akiko jumped in. "Hitomi! What are you _doing_? He's a _ghost_! He's trying to trick you."

"I swear I am not," I cut in. "As a show of good faith, look under the floorboard right in front of the stairs. You'll find something that will help you."

Hitomi scanned the ground and walked to the edge of the staircase, Akiko on her heels. This was the moment I went to war with myself. Sachiko, that damned wretch, can manipulate the minds of all who have died here and I am no exception. Every time I've gotten this close, she messes it all up. I prayed to God that I wouldn't lose my senses.

It took the girls a moment to pry the board loose. Once they did, they argued over who would stick their arm in the dark hole. I prayed, again, for them to hurry up. Finally, Hitomi stuck her hand in the floor and pulled out a small, clear crystal. I silently thanked God.

"That is a charm," I explained. "I know where others are, too. You can use that if any of the bad ghosts in this place try to mess with you. The ghost of the girl I am sending you to is good as well, so no need to worry. She's the nicest person I know. She will help you, too."

I proceeded to tell them where Mayu's body had rested and, to my surprise, they agreed to keep their part of the bargain. As they walked away to meet my beloved, I realized that – for the first time since I'd been here – the pain was ebbing away…


	3. The Strength of Mayu

**Mayu**

_Come on…come on!_

I was trying my hardest to become visible again, even though no one was around. It was the hardest thing I had ever done in my, uh, existence. Every time I tried pulling my soul together, it felt like it was ripping further and further apart.

_I _have _to do this. I have to get to Shig… Please, God –_

And then a thought occurred to me: Naho had said that there was no God, that if he were real, we wouldn't be in this place. And it actually made a lot of sense to me.

Throughout my life, I've toyed with the idea of God. I know, I know. I probably shouldn't do that. But I couldn't help it. My mind would just start thinking of it on its own and I couldn't stop it.

I used to think: _If there is a God, why would he put us in such a crazy environment? Why would he allow murder, rape, and things of the like? _But my biggest thought was always, _why would someone who claims to love us so much stick us in a place where we endure constant torture… and all because we did something he didn't like? _

I never told anyone that I only semi-believed in God. I didn't want it getting back to my parents, who were very devout. Of course, any time I was in a difficult situation, I would pray to him. I just told myself that I didn't understand God and that's why I questioned him so much, not because I thought he didn't exist. But not anymore.

I _don't _believe in God anymore. If he were real, he wouldn't allow this to happen to me. I'm not a bad person. So why am I here?

I'd also read somewhere that God is really just the human race, which makes more sense to me. We are all a part of God and, together, we a_re _God. This book said that praying is just putting our wills out into the universe, like willing something to be true. If that was the case, then we each had our own individual power…

And just like that, something clicked. Everything made sense again. Naho said that Sachiko was able to gain a new body because she had enough spiritual and emotional energy to…will it into existence.

So I just had to will _myself _into existence!

At that exact same moment, I heard footsteps and the sound of voices coming down the hallway. Someone alive was coming! For some reason, it always made me feel better to be around the living. Maybe it's because it makes me feel alive, too.

I turned myself out again, which was much easier this time because I had people around. I must explain something here, otherwise you will be confused. When two spirits communicate, they can see each other for who they really are. Occasionally, they will _really _see who each other are, as they will see what they looked like at the moment of death. It's awful. But when a spirit communicates with a human, a live person, it all depends.

If the spirit is strong enough, they can take their full form. If not, they will appear as a flame. The color of the flame is what is important, though. Blue means that they are friendly and orange-red means they are not. In fact, the orange-red ones are hostile.

As a flame, I tried my hardest to listen to what the voices were saying.

"I think this is the hallway he was talking about."

"Yeah, there's the infirmary. She has to be here somewhere…"

"Mayu? Mayu! Suzumoto? Are you here?"

They were calling out to me! They knew I was here! But how…?

"Over here!" I yelled. "Please, come here! I am Mayu Suzumoto!"

I listened again, but it was completely silent. They'd even stopped walking. Did they hear me at all? I opened my mouth to yell again, but then I heard them begin walking again.

"Mayu, where are you exactly?"

I yelled back, "At the end of the hallway! I'm stuck here, so you'll have to come closer. Be very careful of the floor. There are holes all in it."

As they neared, I thought, _what a strange day…_

It was two young girls, both wearing the same school uniform. They had to be in middle school. They stopped halfway down the hallway from me, but I didn't blame them. They were being smart. I wondered how they knew me because I'd never seen them before.

"Hello, Mayu," the one with the black hair stated. "My name is Hitomi and this is my friend Akiko. We were sent by Mori – AHHHHH!"

Suddenly, the ground began to shake violently. It was another earthquake. They happened pretty frequently around here. It wasn't until I'd died that I learned they aren't really earthquakes. They were the dimensions splitting themselves up or coming back together, but they felt just the same as earthquakes.

When you die and become a part of this place, you can see the dimensions come together or break apart if you pay attention. I could tell the school – or Sachiko, most likely – didn't want these children getting to me as it was trying to bring them to a new dimension.

But I wasn't going to let that happen.

_No! They will not get away! I am strong. I am the strongest ghost in this place. I can easily break out of this shell! I have all the power of – huh?_

I was pushing as hard as I could to just get out of the damned spot I'd been stuck in while giving myself that pep-talk and suddenly…I flew forward and hit the ground.

I lay there for a moment, totally stunned.

"AHHH! MAYU! HELP!"

Akiko's plead for help brought me back to reality. I quickly jumped up and surveyed my surroundings, still a little stunned that I'd made it out. Akiko had fallen into a hole in the ground and was only hanging by one arm. I quickly ran to her to find that she was holding an unconscious Hitomi with the other arm.

I tried grabbing Akiko's hand, but mine went right through hers.

_What do I do? What do I _do_?!_

Then a flashback hit me again: _I was in front of two ghost children, the both of them smiling at me. In an instant, I was floating off the ground and soaring into –_

I stopped the flashback before it could get ugly. I didn't need to remember that right now. I gave myself another quick pep-talk before wafting my hands up into the air…

And did exactly what I sought to do: I lifted them out of the hole, clean and unharmed. They flew in the air and I almost lost control of them for a moment, but I was able to guide them slowly to the ground.

Akiko crawled over to Hitomi and grabbed her hand before collapsing in a heap and panting hard. I waited as she caught her breath and checked her friend for wounds. Once Akiko was convinced Hitomi was safe, she turned back to me.

"Thank you, Mayu. Even after that ghost boy told us that some of the ghosts in here are good, I didn't believe him, but I do now. You saved our lives!" she said in a rush.

"Oh, you're welcome. I just…did what any decent person would do…" I replied.

Akiko smiled at me and sighed, probably thanking God that she was alive. Then a look of realization hit her and she came closer to me. "Allow me to return the gesture, then. A friend of yours found us and asked if we would bring you a message."

"A friend of mine? Who... Who was it?" I mumbled all of that in a rush, dying for her to tell me who it was. My very existence felt like it depended on her giving me the message.

"Morishige. He says that he loves you and that he's sorry. Does that mean anything to you?"

"Shig!" I closed my eyes and felt a tear roll out. "It means _everything_ to me." I sobbed for a moment, the relief just too much for me. And then I remembered. I snapped my eyes open again and leaned in even closer to Akiko. "Where is he, Akiko?! Where is Morishige?!"

I immediately regretted sounding so forceful. Akiko cringed from me, bringing her hands up in front of her for protection. My heart was racing a million miles an hour, but I forced myself to take a moment to calm down, breathing in through my nose and out through my…mouth?

"Huh?" I looked down and…my body was there! It was bathed in a blue ethereal light, a lot like that of the three ghost children, only dimmer. There were tiny white orbs of light pocketed in the blue glow. It was startling to say the least. "Whoa! What happened to me?!"

"Hitomi!"

I glanced up for only a moment to see that Akiko was helping a once again conscious Hitomi stand, then returned my gaze to the new form I had. I had no idea that something like this could ever happen; my eyes and brain - as if they were still there - were telling me two different things. _This isn't possible…_

"Hey, Mayu!"

Hitomi was standing in front of me with Akiko trying to hide behind her and help her stand at the same time. "Akiko says you scared her. Is that so?"

I gaped at her for a moment, my brain trying to catch up with what was happening. It only took a second, but it felt like minutes of awkward – really, _really _awkward – silence, especially because Akiko was trying to hide from me behind Hitomi the whole time. I felt awful.

"I… I am so sorry, Akiko. I didn't mean to scare you. I… I'm sorry. I don't know how to explain myself…" I truly didn't. How would they believe a word I said? For the life of me, I couldn't get over the fact that I was really and truly a ghost – a walking, talking ghost!

"Why don't you start with the truth? That's – "

Hitomi was suddenly cut off by Akiko, who was gently tugging on her arm. "Hitomi, be careful. Be..." she looked over at me, "…careful."

That snapped me out of it. "Oh! I'm not going to hurt you, I promise! And I'm sorry for being so aggressive with you earlier, Akiko. It's just that…I haven't seen Morishige in such a long time… And, well…"

"You love him," Hitomi spoke matter-of-factly. Then she turned to Akiko and calmly said, "See? She was never going to hurt you. She's one of the good ones."

"You seem so sure of it," I breathed, not really meaning for them to hear it.

But Hitomi did. "Should I not be?"

"Oh, of course not! I mean, you're just so calm and collected and – " I stopped myself before I made everything worse and took a deep breath. "I didn't look like this…before. I was a ghost, yes, but it was different. I _am _sorry about scaring you, Akiko, and I won't harm either of you. But right now, I really just want to see my friend. Please, _please _take me to him."

Akiko stared at me for a few seconds, mouth wide open, before a small smile spread on her face. She stepped around Hitomi and held her hands behind her back. I'd finally gotten through to her.

Hitomi wore the same expression she had been the whole time we'd been speaking: one of calm caution. You could tell that she paid very close attention to almost everything. "Can you keep us safe?"

"Um…" I didn't know what I could and couldn't do now that I had this new body. I silently wished that it had come with an instruction manual. "I will do my very best."

She raised one eyebrow and observed me before finally nodding. "Okay. Akiko, stay between us. Let's go."


	4. Danger, Danger!

**Morishige**

_Mayu… I'm so sorry… I never meant to…see you like that. To let you become like that. Please don't be mad at me. Please forgive me._

*snip snip*

_ Oh, God, no! Not right now!_

*snip snip*

It was Yuki, the little ghost girl who'd had her eye removed by Sachiko. You could always tell when she was coming by the sound of her opening and closing a pair of scissors that she _always _seemed to have. I thought she had a bit of a crush on me because she always stopped when she came by, but only to talk. The first time she'd done it, I'd been scared out of my mind, thinking she was going to hurt me somehow. But she didn't and never did anything from then on.

"And what's going on over here today?" Yuki skipped over to me and gave me a smile, holding the bloody, rusted scissors off to her side. "You've been up to no good, Morishige…"

"Huh? What have I done?" I asked, bewildered. She couldn't possibly know about my message to Mayu, could she?

Yuki laughed before replying, "You gave away my hiding spot. Now that girl has my charm. You've angered me…and Sachiko."

"S-Sachiko?!"

Sachiko had the ability to somehow make your existence ten times worse than it already was. Because she created and controls this plane, she could pick you up and put you anywhere she wished, including at the bottom of the pool, where you would never see anyone again for the rest of your stay here.

"I've had fun with you, Morishige, but Sachiko says it's time for me to get a new toy. This will only hurt…for a long, long time…"

Yuki's grin was now menacing. Come to think of it, everything about her was menacing at that moment. She lifted her empty hand and spread her fingers. She then floated up and brought her hand up to my forehead as if she were going to rest it on my head.

"Goodbye, Morishige," she whispered right before she touched me.

The. Pain. Is. Unbearable.


	5. Reunited

**Mayu**

I'd just turned the corner of the staircase when I saw Morishige and Yuki at the top. Shig was standing there, looking baffled, and Yuki was floating in the air in front of him. She had her hand out like she was about to smack him on the forehead. Before I could take a step, though, she simply laid her hand on him.

Morishige and I screamed at the same time.

"AHHHHHH!"

"Shig, no!"

Then I took off like a lightning bolt. It was as if I had teleported and, come to think of it, maybe I had. One second there was a ten-stair gap between us, the next I was standing next to Shig, forming a small triangle with Yuki. It took me less than a second to realize where I was before I pushed at Yuki with all my might.

To my surprise, she screamed at the top of her lungs as she flew toward the wall opposite Shig and I. When she made it to the wall, she flew through it and we couldn't hear her anymore.

I immediately turned to Morishige, who was wobbling back and forth, his eyes focused on nothing. I didn't care that he looked like he might faint, or that we would both fall if he couldn't stand straight; I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed as tight as I could.

"Shig…bro…"

As soon as I'd spoken the words, Morishige stopped wobbling and stood straight as a doorframe. "Mayu? Mayu, is that…really you?"

"It's me. I missed you so much, Shig."

His arms came up to wrap around me and he squeezed, too. I started to cry, causing us both to shake violently, but he just held me. We stayed like that for a long, long time, and I felt absolutely complete. I knew, at that moment, that I never wanted to be away from these arms again. I knew that home for me…was wherever Shig was.

Morishige broke away from me, but only so he could take my face in his hands and look at me. "You don't know how long I've waited to see your face."

It was the most touching thing anyone had ever said to me. I didn't care anymore, I let all of my guards down. It was finally the perfect time… I put my hand on his cheek to guide his face down as I stood on my tip-toes. It was a little awkward as there was a big difference in our heights, but we managed, and I finally got to do the thing I regretted not doing the most.

I kissed him. And it was magical.

He knew it was coming. That was apparent in the way he closed his eyes and allowed me to guide him where I wanted him. He'd been wanting to do this, too, and that made me feel that much better. We were practically wrapped around each other, the world around us disappearing. I pulled him down closer to me and in response he scooped me up off the ground to hold me in his arms.

Then someone coughed and ruined it.

Shig and I broke apart to look at Hitomi and Akiko, who were standing a few feet away from us. Morishige and I looked back at each other at the same time and nodded in agreement. He slowly and gently sat me back on the ground, but we kept holding hands.

"Thank you so much," he told the girls, his smile as bright as a Christmas tree. "You're the kindest people I know."

"We wouldn't have been able to find each other without you. Whatever you need, we're here to help," I added.

"You're welcome," the girls said in unison. I was surprised to see that Hitomi wore a smile, the first time I'd seen her do that since I met her. Akiko was all smiles as well, but she soon rubbed her eyes and yawned. "Hitomi, I'm tired…"

"Yes, it's probably late. My watch stopped working a while ago, so I don't know what time it is. Why don't we curl up in this corner and sleep? Mayu, Morishige, would you mind looking out for us?" Hitomi replied.

"Not at all," Shig and I said together and smiled.

As the girls curled up together in the corner, Morishige and I sat down far enough so we could have some privacy, but close enough that we could keep an eye out for them. Shig wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close, allowing me to rest my head on his chest.

"Mayu…?" he whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Are you upset with me?"

I looked up to his face and smiled. "Why would I be upset with you?"

"Because…because of what I did. Because of the pictures…"

I'd completely forgotten about that, actually. It wasn't something that I liked being reminded of, either. I'd screamed and screamed at the top of my lungs for him to walk away, to stop what he was doing, that he was filming _my _dead body…but he never heard a word. "Shig…I'm not mad. Let's leave it at that, okay? Just…try to forget. Please."

He nodded and looked away as if trying to hide something. I noticed that his eyes had become wet, but I didn't say anything. Morishige wasn't the type of person to let anyone see him crying, even me. In fact, I think he especially didn't want me to see him cry because he wanted to be seen as my protector. So I left it alone and basked in the glory of being with him.

We cuddled together in silence for a while, allowing ourselves to calm down, but then we couldn't take it anymore and had to talk.

"So, Mayu, I hope you don't mind me asking, but…what happened to you? If it's too difficult to think about, you don't have to tell me. But I want to let you know how sorry I am that I couldn't protect you. It's all I've been able to think about since…" He stopped short, obviously not wanting to talk about his death. So why did he want to talk about mine?

I was torn. A part of me wanted to tell him, just because he wanted to know. I also thought it might help me get over my death if I talked about it. But, on the other hand, it was just so awful… I wouldn't wish my death on anyone. I definitely didn't want to remember it… And then I thought of something that might get me out of talking about this…

"Hey, let me ask you first, how was your memory when you were…stuck here?"

"It was…choppy. Like a radio station that you can get to play clear every minute or so, but is mostly just static. Why?" he answered.

"That's how mine was, too. But it's better now. Is it better for you?" I asked.

"Much, much better now that I have you by my side."

I'd have blushed if I could. "Hmm. Okay." I took a deep breath and let it out, preparing myself. "I woke up here all by myself, in a long hallway. I roamed around for a while, looking for everyone, but I didn't find anyone. Eventually, I found the infirmary and went in. There were these two ghost children inside, Tokiko and Yuki. There was this newspaper article that they pointed out for me to read, so I read it and found out that they were kidnapped and murdered.

"I felt bad for them. Kidnapped, killed, and stuck in this school forever? What an awful thing to happen. But then it happened to me…

"I sat down and told them all about school and…well, life. And they were very nice to me. Eventually, Kishinuma and Shinozaki found us. They tried to warn me about the children, but I didn't listen. I thought they were just poor, unfortunate souls who'd like some company. But I was wrong.

"The children suddenly decided they didn't like me anymore. Or maybe they never did to begin with. But they tossed me up in the air and held me there for a long time. I couldn't move; I couldn't speak. All I could do was hang there and breathe. Kishinuma and Shinozaki told me they were going to get help and they'd be right back.

"They came back with a talking doll, which said that it was so sorry for killing the children. The children then began to cry for their parents. I thought they'd finally come to their senses and realized what they were doing. 'Any minute now,' I thought, 'they'll put me down and everything will be okay.'

"But they got mad again. The door to the infirmary flew open and they brought me outside, never letting me down even an inch. Before Shinozaki and Kishinuma could come out…they threw me as hard as they could down the hall…and I hit the wall."

By this point in my story, I'd begun to cry. I was surprised – although I really shouldn't have been – that Morishige seemed to know exactly what I needed. He didn't say a word, but he stroked my hair as I continued. He most likely knew that if he stopped me now, I'd never be able to continue. He squeezed me tight in reassurance and I continued.

"It was awful, Shig. Everything hurt. My entire world was nothing but pain, but only for a brief moment. Then I couldn't feel anything and…I could see what had become of me. I guess…I guess my head must have fallen off because I just looked for what felt like an eternity at the globby mess that I had become. And then I was floating, in that exact same spot, and I've been there ever since…"

"Oh, Mayu. I…I can't imagine what it must be like… Especially after I…did what I did. Come here," Morishige whispered before pulling me into him. He let me cry until I was satisfied, brushing my hair and telling me that everything was going to be okay.

When I was done, I sat up and wiped my face before looking into Shig's eyes. "What…what happened to you?"

Morishige looked away, his hand that wasn't wrapped around me going to the back of his neck. That was a bad habit of his, one that he knew I would notice. He always did it when he felt uncomfortable or nervous, like before an audition or test he hadn't prepared for.

I reached up and rested my hand on his cheek, causing him to look back at me. "It's okay, Shig. You can tell me anything. I won't judge."

He suddenly buried his face in my chest and held onto me tightly. I probably would have felt uncomfortable if we had done this before we'd come to Heavenly Host, but I didn't care now. He was mine and I was his, and this was who we were now.

Although his speech came out a bit muffled, I could still make out what he was saying. "I woke up alone, too. The last thing I remembered was being in our classroom, listening to Shinozaki's ghost stories. I looked around for you, but I couldn't find you. I went around the school, searching, but I came up empty.

"At first, the bodies didn't get to me so bad. I'd see them and say, 'See? You're in better shape than they are. Keep going.' I know that sounds awful, but it was the only thing keeping me going. So I began to take pictures of them so I could look at them when I was in a place where there weren't any bodies. And then I started taking videos…

"Eventually, I'd almost completely forgotten about everyone, other than you, Mayu. My goal was to keep taking pictures and find you; that's all. Then Mochida came upon me as I was…" he broke off into a sob.

"I know, I know," I whispered, stroking the back of his head. "I was there…"

"I'm so sorry, Mayu. I feel awful…and horrified."

"Shush, now. It's over, in the past. It doesn't matter, not anymore," I assured him.

He sat up and wiped his face, looking me right in the eyes. "Are you sure?"

Shig's eyes were so deep and beautiful. I could stare into them all day. But at the moment, they were pleading with me, begging me to say that everything was fine. "Absolutely."

He leaned in and kissed me with such passion that my heart almost burst. Who knew that you could feel this alive when you were dead? It was as if our souls were meant to meld together and be together always.

When we broke apart, Morishige whispered, "Thank you, Suzume. I love you."

It was the first time he'd ever said it out loud to me and it made me lose my breath. "Oh, I love you, too, Shig. More than you could ever know…"

Shig sat up against the wall again, but this time he pulled me into his lap. "I don't ever want you out of my sight again."

"Hmm." This was like a dream come true. Then my eyes snapped open. "Morishige? I do have one question for you…"

"What's that?"

"Why did you do it? Why did you jump down that hole?"

I felt him tense up beneath me, obviously not ready for that question. He did as I did before, taking a deep breath to ready himself, and then answered, "I'd known that I was going crazy in here. I could tell that something was wrong with me, but I couldn't control it anymore. I had this feeling that I would join the bodies I'd been snapping pictures of soon, I just didn't know how.

"I wanted to find you before that happened, though. I searched and searched, looked at every inch of this place before finally coming to a stand-still in this very stairwell. I sat down at the top of those stairs and looked through my phone again, telling myself that I still had a chance as long as I didn't end up like them. And then…I came upon…your picture. I looked at it for a while before my phone went off. I answered it and…

"I heard you and I thought, 'I'm crazy. It's happened. I've officially gone insane.' It's what I wished had happened because the alternative was…too much to bear. But then I heard your voice again. I called out to you and I heard you clear as day. I realized then why I'd been so compelled by the body…by _your _body.

"I did go crazy then. And to answer your question, it was two things. The first was that I couldn't imagine living in a world without you. You might think I was trying to find you so that I could protect you, and that was definitely a part of it, but mostly I wanted to find you because you are my saving grace, Mayu. Every time I saw your pretty smile, I felt whole. I wanted to tell you how I felt about you before you moved. I planned on doing it after the culture festival. But…that didn't happen.

"The second was the thought of how far off the deep end I'd gone. I thought it was something I could control, that I was the master of my impulses. But in reality, that wasn't the case. The opposite was true: my impulses controlled me. I found myself wanting to go through my cell phone pictures…for comfort.

"I threw my phone as soon as I realized this and…I lost it. If you were here, this is where I'd be, too. So I jumped and this is where I've been waiting for you." He finished and paused for a moment, looking at me as if confused. "Speaking of, how _did _you get here?"

"Oh, that. Well…"

I proceeded to tell him everything that had happened and he listened silently, but intently. When I was finished, he asked, "So, if all it takes to break free is a strong enough will, and you broke free, does that mean you can get out of this school?"

"Afraid not."

We both jumped at the new voice and looked over to find Sachiko standing there, her red dress glowing eerily. I jumped up to get in between her and the girls, keeping my vow to defend them. "Hitomi, Akiko, wake up!"

"You'll never leave this school," Sachiko said, menacingly. She looked over at the girls, who were just now waking up. "And neither will they."

"Oh, yes, we will. No matter what it takes, no matter how long we're here, we _will _find a way to stop you," I told her matter-of-factly. Sachiko's face warped into an ugly mask and she yelled so loud it hurt. Then, once my defenses were down, she suddenly stopped and came at me, attacking…


	6. The Attempt

**Morishige**

I had never seen Mayu act so tough before. It worried me, but made me proud at the same time. I'd been thinking about things as we sat here, catching up, and came to a realization. Since Mayu had saved me from Yuki, I was able to go wherever I wanted. I'd even taken on a bluish-glow, like Mayu. She'd told me that it took a strong will to do something like that, but I hadn't even tried to do it.

It was because of her.

I only wanted to be with Mayu; that's it. My will _was _to be with her, so I was able to do it.

Before I could think that through, though, Sachiko had shown up and attacked. Just before she came at Mayu, I'd put myself in front of the two living girls, knowing that Mayu would want me to take care of them while she took care of Sachiko. I wanted to help her, but she screamed for me to stay back so violently I could do nothing but obey.

Mayu and Sachiko flew everywhere, clawing, scratching, and hitting. They were like two cats fighting, all wrapped around each other. As Hitomi and Akiko rose, I stuck them behind my back, ready to fight if it came down to it, but Mayu and Sachiko were pretty evenly matched.

At least, until Sachiko went completely bonkers. She must have been angry that she wasn't winning and went into something like an adrenaline mode. That's what it looked like, anyway. She clawed into Mayu over and over again, causing Mayu's glow to flicker. I didn't know what it would mean if her glow disappeared, but I didn't like it one bit.

I started running toward them, getting ready to jump in, but Mayu yelled for me to stop, to let her take care of it. As long as she told me to stay where I was, I would. There could be something else going on that I didn't know about. That had to be why Mayu was so vehement about me staying out of it.

Right when I thought Sachiko would finally beat Mayu, Mayu stopped defending herself and grabbed Sachiko, pulling her into a hug. Sachiko squirmed and yelled for her to let go, but she wouldn't.

"Sachiko Shinozaki!" Mayu yelled. "You must stop this! You must let these people go! You will never be happy until you do. You will never be reunited with your dear mother. She misses you, Sachi. She loves you. Forgive what has happened to you and allow yourself to be happy."

"I _am _happy!" Sachiko hissed, slapping Mayu across the face. The noise of it was loud even from where I was, so I knew it had to hurt. But Mayu never faltered.

"No, you aren't. You think you are, but you aren't! You've been misled. And no one blames you for it. You are young and you've made mistakes. Now let them go!" Mayu screamed.

Now Sachiko's glow was flickering, changing colors as it did. Instead of latching onto Mayu or hitting her, Sachiko was trying to get away. She was scared, you could see it in her face. For the life of me, I couldn't keep myself from feeling happy about that. The tormentor getting a taste of her own medicine. How about that?

"Yuki! Tokiko! Ryou!" Sachiko yelled.

Just like that, the ghosts of the three children appeared. "Yes, Sachiko?" they all asked in unison.

"Get her!"

I didn't like this at all. We were completely outnumbered and the children had weapons. Yuki held her scissors, as always, Ryou held a screwdriver, and Tokiko had a razor sharp box cutter. We might've had a chance if they didn't have the weapons.

I leaped into the air, putting myself between Mayu and her attackers. I took blow after blow, but I wouldn't give up. I'd help Mayu until the end of my existence, if that's what it took. Fortunately, it didn't…

"Sachiko Shinozaki, I command you with the will of all those who are trapped here to let. Us. GO!" Mayu yelled from behind me.

Suddenly, we were surrounded by blue light. The children stopped attacking me, so I was able to look around. Mayu was right; every single soul trapped here was in the room, or at least most of them. And they were angry. One by one, the spirits came at us, passing through the children and Sachiko before disappearing completely.

I noticed that they didn't follow a pattern and wondered what was going on. Then I heard them: they were all whispering, but it was hard to make out what anyone was saying because they were all talking at once. I could make out a few sentences here and there:

_"I will never forgive you for killing me…"_

_ "I'll use those scissors on _YOU!"

_"Now you'll know what it feels like."_

All around me, the same sentiments were spoken over and over again. Mayu had released Sachiko, as she was now limp. Whatever these spirits were doing, it had paralyzed Sachiko.

"Mayu," I whispered as she flew into my arms. "I was so scared for you."

"I'm okay. A little tired, but okay. How are – Ah!"

The ground began to shake, more violently than I had ever felt it shake before. Mayu and I flew over to Hitomi and Akiko, trying to pick them up, but our hands went right through them. Mayu then brought her arms out and rose them slowly. I didn't know what she was doing, but then I noticed Akiko floating up off the ground at the same rate of speed Mayu was raising her arms. I got the picture.

I did the same, willing Hitomi off the ground. It was surprisingly easy to lift her. With them off the ground, all we had to worry about was falling debris, which was raining down pretty hard.

"Mayu! I don't think this is a normal shift. Something's happening," I yelled.

Mayu, her attention on Akiko, called back, "I know, I feel it. What do we do?"

"I'll tell you what you do, Suzumoto."

I looked over to see the ghost of Ms. Yui floating a few feet from me. I'd had no idea that she had died in here. It made me feel awful that we hadn't taken the time out to search and see if the rest of our friends were in here, too. Although I know some of them did make it out. Spirits talk, especially when something rare like that happens. I heard a lot of, "they're so lucky!" and "I can't believe they made it and I didn't…"

"Ms. Yui!" Mayu yelled, clearly happy to see her. "What happened to you?"

Ms. Yui smiled. "It's good to see the both of you as well, although I wish it were under better circumstances. And don't worry about me. We need to take care of you and these young girls. Now, listen, I talked to Naho and she told me how to get out of this place. At least, for the young girls over there."

Ms. Yui spoke directly to Akiko and Hitomi. "You need to get your paper doll scrap and do the ritual again, this time saying, 'Sachiko, we beg of you,' once for each person and an extra one for Sachiko. Suzumoto, Morishige, get them outside. Now!" Ms. Yui instructed.

We flew through the building as fast as possible, making sure to keep the debris from falling on the girls. I kept Hitomi as close to me as possible so I could keep control of her and Mayu did suit with Akiko. Ms. Yui was following us.

When we made it outside, we put the girls on the ground. They took out their paper doll scraps from their ID's and took each other's hands. Then they yelled, "Sachiko, we beg of you! Sachiko, we beg of you! Sachiko, we beg of you!"

It seemed as if time stopped for a moment. I couldn't hear or see anything but whiteness. Everything was still.

Just as quick as the peace had come, though, it left again and I was able to make out three shadows standing around me. I immediately got on the defensive, waiting to see if this new person was friend or foe. When I could finally see correctly again, I let out a breath of relief.

It was Seiko. "Seiko!" I yelled, just as Mayu did. Ms. Yui yelled out, "Shinohara!"

She smiled at us, but it was weak. "Hello Mayu, Morishige, Ms. Yui. It's so nice to see you again. I wanted to say hi before I left. Maybe we'll see each other again…"

"What do you mean?" Mayu asked.

Another spirit appeared, right next to Seiko. It was Naho and she had a wry smile on her lips. "Good job, Mayu. I didn't think you had it in you. Seiko is right, it's time to move on. You've successfully managed to destroy this place – for good. Now all we have to do is move through Sachiko and we will be at peace."

"Then what are we waiting for?" I asked.

Without the girls in tow, we could move as we would naturally: faster than a cheetah on energy drinks. In the blink of an eye, we were in the stairwell – _my _stairwell – again. Sachiko was doubled over backward, her back looking as if it were broken. Her eyes were wide as she watched us approach and I could tell she was fighting as hard as possible to move.

Naho went first, moving so fast I only saw a blur. Then she was gone.

Seiko turned to us, tears rolling down her cheeks, and quickly said, "Naomi killed me. The curse gobbled her up and made her kill me. I have to find a way to let her know…it's okay. I understand. I still love her."

Ms. Yui grabbed Seiko's hand and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "I've spoken to loved ones in my dreams and so have friends of mine. Maybe you can find a way to go to her in her sleep."

Seiko sobbed and nodded, looking utterly miserable. "I-I can t-try."

"I'll help you, Seiko. Come on, let's go," Ms. Yui assured her and, together, they flew through Sachiko and away.

I turned to Mayu, who in turn looked back at me. I was really nervous and a bit scared. Who knew what would be waiting on the other side? And I'd just gotten her back! "I don't want to lose you again."

She smiled up at me, taking my hand. "And you won't." She reached up on her tip-toes, pulling me down so she could kiss me. "I love you, Shig."

"And I love you, Suzume."

With that, we flew through Sachiko and into our own "Ever After".


	7. Epilogue

**Ayumi Shinozaki**

"I'm telling you, Kishinuma, something feels different. Something's happened. I don't know what it is, but I _know _something happened." I said for about the twentieth time.

Yoshiki sighed and reached for my hand with one hand as he drove with the other. "And _I _told _you_, Shinozaki, that I believe you. But we don't know what it is yet, so there's no point in getting worked up over it. Just relax. Everything will be fine."

I sighed, feeling defeated. "You don't know that. What if something happens again? What if…what if we're taken back into that – "

"Don't even say it!" Yoshiki yelled. "Don't you do it. I don't want you jinxing us. For the last time, we are never, _ever _going back into that place. And even if we were somehow transported back in time or through space or whatever, I would be right there with you, just like I was before. Okay?"

"Okay…" I conceded, but mostly because he was right. We'd never have to go back to that awful place unless we did the charm again or some freak of nature happened. "Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry. I just…I don't like feeling this way. It makes me cranky."

Kishinuma laughed, squeezing my hand. "I've noticed." I scoffed, but he just laughed again. "And you know why I put up with it? Because I love you."

I smiled, blushing, and lightly smacked his arm. "Oh, stop. You're just trying to flatter me."

"Yep, you guessed it!"

"Hey!"

He laughed once again as the GPS instructed him to turn right into a driveway. We were finally here. "We're here," he mumbled and put the car in park. Turning to face me, he said, "No, seriously, Ayumi. I love you. I would never let anything like that happen to you ever again. Hear me?"

"I hear you," I whispered as he cupped my face with one hand. I sighed into it. _I can't believe that I didn't like you at one point…my Yoshiki, _I thought. "And I love you, too."

He smiled. "Well that's a relief." With a wink, he slid out of the car and came around to let me out. I'd trained him enough to _look _like a gentleman, but not quite enough that he was one yet. But that made me love him more. "So," he said after opening the door, "what do you think this is about?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. The girl – Hitomi, I think she said her name was – said she had something very important to tell us. I wouldn't have come if it weren't for how urgent she sounded. I'm really curious, though."

"Then let's get inside and find out what's going on. Come on," he ordered, giving me his hand. I took it and, together, we walked up to the house. Yoshiki rang the doorbell as I knocked on the door twice.

No one answered for a few minutes, so Yoshiki rang the doorbell again. I checked my watch: 16:04, just four minutes after our appointed time. Surely someone was here…

Just then, the door opened, revealing a young girl in a red tank-top and shorts. She had long, jet-black hair and blue eyes. Although she looked young in size, her expression made her look ten years older, as if she were a young adult. She had a calm, collectiveness about her, and she examined both Kishinuma and I before speaking.

"Hello, I'm Hitomi Kato. You must be Ayumi and Yoshiki Kishinuma. Please, come inside," she said, stepping aside to let us in.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Hitomi. Are your parents home?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No, they've gone out for lunch so we can talk. They know you're here, so don't worry."

"Oh, okay. And may I ask what this is about?"

Just as I asked the question, Yoshiki let out a gasp. I turned to see what was wrong…but nothing was wrong. In fact, I was happily surprised.

"Nakashima? Satoshi? Yuka? What are you doing here?!" I asked, running over to them. I gave each of them a hug as Yoshiki slapped their hands in high-fives. He wasn't much of a hugger.

"Actually," Naomi replied, "it's Mochida, now." She held up her hand. "Satoshi and I got married!"

"Big surprise there!" Yoshiki laughed, sarcastically.

"Please, feel free to have a seat," Hitomi said loudly, getting our attention. We all took that as a demand rather than an invitation and sat down. "I'm sure you are all wondering what this is about. Well, do you remember…Heavenly Host Elementary School?"

I stiffened at the name, as did all of my friends in the room. I looked over at Kishinuma, silently saying, "I told you so." He shook his head and I knew immediately what he was saying: "No way. I can't believe it." We'd come a long way to read each other's thoughts, that's for sure.

"What about it?" Satoshi asked. I noticed that both Naomi and Yuka – who had grown into a fine young woman – had gripped Satoshi's hands in theirs and were squeezing pretty hard. Satoshi's knuckles were turning white, but he didn't make a sound. That's one of things that had made it so easy to fall for him in school.

"Well, I'm not quite sure how to explain this. Akiko is better at it than me. Akiko!" Hitomi yelled. I immediately heard the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. A young girl about the same age as Hitomi emerged, with short, blonde hair and brown eyes. She held her head up, but you could tell she was nervous.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Akiko Kudou. I wish we were meeting under different circumstances, but…things are what they are. You see, we've lost friends in that school, too. Just a week ago, in fact. Seven of us went in and only two of us came out."

Naomi and I stood up at the same time, coming to both of the girl's sides. Yuka went to Hitomi while Satoshi and Yoshiki scooted closer together. "I am so, so sorry you had to go through that. We know what it's like. But…how did you know we've been in that school before?" I asked.

Akiko came to sit down with us to tell their story.

"You see, if you all hadn't gone to that school, we probably wouldn't be here right now. We probably wouldn't have survived. We – "

"What do you mean? What are you talking about?" Yoshiki asked, eyes wide.

Hitomi stared at him with daggers and he shrugged. "We'll tell you the whole story. Try not to interrupt."

Although the mood definitely wasn't right for it, I chuckled, trying to lessen the seriousness this meeting had taken. Naomi and Satoshi joined in, but it didn't help. Nevertheless, we agreed to keep quiet as Akiko and Hitomi told us their tale…

"When we first got there, Hitomi, our friend Saki, and I were all together. We looked around the school for everyone else, but we couldn't find anyone. Eventually, we picked a classroom to stay in, deciding we would wait in one place and see if anyone found us, instead. But no one ever did.

"I don't know how long we were in there before we heard another one of our friends scream. We were all going to go check it out, but Saki demanded we stay where we were and she go, as she was the oldest and didn't want us in any danger. She left and we never saw her again.

"When we finally decided to go out and look for her, we didn't make it far. We went up a staircase, checking each floor and room for our friends, until we made it to the top. That was when the ghost appeared… Hitomi?" Akiko finished.

Hitomi took it from there. "He asked us if we would do him a favor: go give one of his friends a message. In return, he would help us stay alive. He told us his name was…Sakutaro Morishige."

Every single one of us who had gone into that school with Morishige gasped. I was now on the edge of my seat.

"And?" Satoshi asked. "Did you find out what happened to him? We never knew…"

"He didn't tell us," Hitomi answered. "But I overheard him say how he died. I'll get back to that later, okay? Wait just a few more moments. I need to tell you what happened in chronological order so I can keep the facts straight…

"As a sign of good faith, he showed us where a charm was, to fight the bad ghosts off with. So we did what he asked and brought the message to his friend…Mayu Suzumoto." Gasps flew from each of our lips again and tears sprang to my eyes.

"Kishinuma…" I gasped and flopped into his arms.

He held me tightly and said, "I know… I know…" I guess the young girls were looking at us, confused, because Yoshiki spoke again. "Shinozaki and I…we saw what happened to Mayu. It-it was awful."

"Maybe what we have to say will make you feel better, then. Please, allow us to continue," Akiko said. "We found her just where he said she would be. It seemed as if she couldn't move from the spot she was in, much like Morishige. We had her in our sights, but before we could get to her, there was an earthquake. Hitomi lost her footing and fell in a hole in the floor, so I grabbed onto her. I fell in, too, but managed to grab the edge of the floor before the hole swallowed us up.

"I held on as long as I could, but I was slipping. Any minute I would fall in. I yelled for help, calling to Mayu, but she was taking too long. Just as I thought I would fall, I was suddenly lifted into the air. Mayu had somehow found a way to break free and save us. She was very distracted by her 'new form', as she put it, but she looked like a regular ghost to us."

Hitomi took over again. "Mayu begged us to take her back to 'Shig', so we did. When we got there, a little ghost girl was with him and it looked like she was about to hurt him. She touched his flame – that's how we saw him, as a blue flame – and Morishige started to scream. Mayu ran to them and pushed the little girl. She flew through the air and a wall, disappearing.

"Then Mayu wrapped her arms around Morishige's flame. When she did, he turned back into a human-looking form, but he was still a ghost. They reunited and, uh, made out a bit – "

"They _made out_? How is that even possible?" Yuka asked, baffled. I didn't blame her; it was certainly strange.

"I'm not sure," Hitomi replied. "But they did. I coughed to get their attention and they turned back to us, holding hands. They agreed to watch out for us as we took a rest and we laid down in the corner to sleep. Akiko fell fast asleep as she was already very tired. I'd fallen unconscious when we fell through the hole earlier, so I wasn't nearly as tired. And the only way I'd be able to sleep in that place was through pure exhaustion.

"That's how I found out what happened to your friends. They spoke about what happened to each other. Brace yourselves, it's not an easy thing to hear, but I want to be honest with you. They were your friends, so I'm sure they won't mind you knowing.

"I'm sure you already know what happened to Mayu if Ayumi and Yoshiki knew, so I'll skip over that part. Morishige… Well, he said that he was all by himself when he woke up in the school and was looking for Mayu. When he couldn't find her, he started going crazy. He began telling himself that he was better off than the corpses in the school to survive…

"Then he began taking pictures of them, to remind him that he was still alive when he was away from the corpses. He, apparently, took pictures of Mayu's body without knowing it was her."

Satoshi and Yuka let out a gasp and looked at each other, gaining everyone else's attention. "So that was what he was doing, right, big brother?"

"Yes, Yuka. I'm sorry you had to see that."

Yuka looked like she was thinking really hard. "It makes sense now, though…"

"What does?" Satoshi asked.

Yuka quickly blushed and looked away. "Nothing. It's nothing."

Satoshi gave her a puzzled look, but turned back to the girls, as did the rest of us.

Hitomi continued, "Morishige said he looked in every room, every inch of the school and couldn't find Mayu. He said it was driving him crazy. He decided to take a little break and sit down in the stairwell, looking through the pictures on his phone. As he came across…the one of Mayu, he stared at it. It apparently had some sort of effect on him. He said his phone went off and, when he answered it, he thought he heard Mayu, but he wasn't sure.

"She said something again and he realized it was her, but didn't know what she was saying. She repeated herself – I don't know what she said as they never spoke about it – but he realized that he was looking at a picture of…Mayu's remains.

"It drove Morishige crazy to know that Mayu was dead, that he hadn't been able to protect her. But he was also ashamed of the fact that she knew his hidden side, his dark side. As a result, he threw his phone and jumped into a hole in the ground, killing himself. Akiko?" Hitomi finished.

Akiko nodded and took over again. "Hitomi did manage to fall asleep, but only for a short time. We were woken up by Mayu yelling at us. A girl named Sachiko had appeared…"

"Sachiko?!" Every one of my friends had said it right along with me. We were all in absolute shock. "But how?" I asked.

"I…don't know what you're talking about," Akiko replied. "I just know that a ghost girl attacked Mayu and Morishige, and that they called her Sachiko. Anyway, Mayu and Sachiko were pretty evenly matched, but then Sachiko went into a frenzy. She was beating Mayu pretty badly. Morishige tried to step in, but Mayu wouldn't let him.

"Suddenly, Mayu wrapped Sachiko in what looked like a hug and started telling her that her mother missed her and loved her. She wanted her to stop. Mayu told her to move on and be happy with her mother, but Sachiko refused, calling on three ghost children to help her. They appeared and tried to attack Mayu, but Morishige jumped in to defend her.

"They fought them off until Mayu called on all the other spirits in the school to help her. Amazingly, they all came to her aid and helped her bring Sachiko down. Mayu and Morishige came back to us just as a gigantic earthquake hit. They lifted us in the air and kept us from falling debris, saving our lives.

"A woman appeared, one they called Ms. Yui – "

I stood straight up without even meaning to. "Ms. Yui? How…How was she? How did she look?"

"Like a ghost, I guess," Hitomi replied.

Akiko gasped and looked back at her. "Hitomi, be nice." She turned back to me, a smile on her face. "She looked like a really nice person. She had to have been, to do what she did for us. She told us how to get out of there."

"It's nice to know that some things never change, even in death," Naomi whispered.

Akiko finished their story with, "We went outside and performed the ritual the correct way. That's when we got home."

All of us – Satoshi, Yuka, Naomi, Yoshiki, and I – looked back and forth at each other, bewildered. How strange it felt to have something awful you thought ended a long time ago swing back full circle at you. I'd thought of Ms. Yui, Seiko, Morishige, Mayu, and even Naho every single day since we left that forsaken school, wondering what had happened to them. I was glad to know they weren't in total misery.

"But wait," I started, thinking of something. "How did you know to find all of us?"

Hitomi spoke this time. "Mayu told us on our way to Morishige that we were to find all of you if we got out of the school and let you know what happened. I wrote all of your names down in the small notebook I carry in my ID holder and looked you up just a few days ago."

"The dream!" Naomi suddenly yelled, her eyes going wide. She turned to her husband. "Satoshi! The dream…" Her eyes welled up with tears. "It really was her. It _was _Seiko."

"What? What dream are you talking about?" Yoshiki asked.

Naomi had been overcome by emotion, so she waved at Satoshi, a silent way of telling him to tell us about it. He took a deep breath and said, "Three nights ago, Shinohara appeared to Naomi in a dream. She told her that she knew Naomi had been overcome by the curse in the school when she…hung Seiko. She said she knew Naomi would never do anything to hurt her of her own volition and forgave her for doing something she had no control over. And just before the dream was over, Shinohara told Naomi that she and the rest of us who survived didn't need to worry about the ones who were lost in that school anymore. They were no longer in the school, she said, and they were safe…"

"Just before she disappeared," Naomi added, wiping her eyes, "she told me that she loved me. It really was her. They really got out of there. I thought it was a nightmare, my inner guilt coming out in dreams, but it was real…"

We all looked back and forth at each other once again, not knowing what to say. Then, slowly but surely, smiles lit up all of our faces.

"It's over!" Satoshi declared, pumping his fist. "It's really, finally over."

"Our friends are safe," I added.

Yoshiki wrapped his arm around me and joined in with, "And our teacher, Ms. Yui, too."

Yuka stepped forward, gaining our attention. "Does that mean the school no longer exists? Because that would make me very, very happy."

"Oh my God," I whispered, looking into Yuka's eyes. She was right. She had to have been. "That's it. That's what I've been feeling all week! I _knew _something had happened. The school doesn't exist anymore! Every soul in that place…they're all free."

We all got into a circle for a group hug, even Hitomi and Akiko.

Later that night, as I was getting ready for bed, the candle that I kept lit on my nightstand went out. It was one of the exact same candles I'd brought into Heavenly Host and I lit it every night for the memory of my friends. I'd lit it out of habit tonight, but it felt right to remember them and celebrate their release from that Hell.

I tested the air, trying to see if there was a draft, but there wasn't any. I lit the candle again…and it went out again a few seconds later.

"Yoshiki!" I yelled.

He bounded into the room a few seconds later, pajamas on. "Time for bed already? It's early. Oh, candles… Is someone feeling frisky…?"

I blushed as Kishinuma came to wrap his arms around my waist, bending down to kiss me. I kissed him back, thinking of how amazing my life had turned out, before snapping back to attention.

"That's enough, mister. Later." I winked at him. "Watch this." I lit the candle again and, sure enough, it winked back out. "I can't get it to stay lit."

"Here, let me try." Yoshiki took the lighter I held and tried lighting the candle, but it went right back out yet again. "How strange."

"Yeah, I – Hmm?" Both of our phones had gone off at the same time, which didn't happen very often. I grabbed mine from my side table as Yoshiki went around the bed to get his. I waited until he had his phone in his hands and gave me a nod before opening my phone.

There was a text message, from an unknown number:

_Stop mourning us._

_We're fine._

_We're happy._

_Finally._


End file.
